Review of OVER THE EDGE by Irene Hannon

ABOUT THE BOOK

ISBN-13:9780800741891 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group. Publication date:10/01/2024. Series:Undaunted Courage , #2. Pages:368

Trauma survivor Lindsey Barnes hasn’t fully recovered from the ordeal that almost took her life, and now she’s in the middle of another crisis. Not only is she the sole witness in a high-profile murder case, but someone is also pushing her to question her sanity.

Police detective Jack Tucker doesn’t know what to make of her story, especially when her elusive enemy leaves no evidence behind to lend credence to her claims. Yet the more he gets to know the appealing personal chef, the more he’s convinced someone is targeting not only her sanity, but her life.

And unless they can figure out who is behind the campaign to undermine her credibility, a murderer could slip away—leaving more than one body in his or her wake.

My Thoughts

The suspense starts at the beginning of the book, ramps up its intensity as the story continues and ends with a surprise revelation that includes even more suspense. This is a perfectly well-written romantic suspense, with characters that are relatable and flawed as well as totally believable. Lindsey Barnes is a personal chef who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up being the only eyewitness to a home invasion murder. Detective Jack Tucker is the lead investigator who has difficulty at first believing Lindsey’s account of what happened and presses her to remember more details so that he has more to go on on order to catch a killer. The story continues with part of Lindsey’s backstory and why she doesn’t particularly trust the police and especially Jack. Fascinating details here! There is a secondary story of a handyman who was at the site of the murder and who is Jack’s first suspect. The author does an expert job of weaving the storylines together, including Lindsey’s need for counseling, her past trauma and Jack’s past as well. This book was hard to put down and an engrossing read with a compelling mystery that begged to be solved. I must confess that I love mystery and suspense and read them a lot, but the surprise revelation in this one had me gasping and loving the story even more. With a fast pace, characters who beg for a good resolution and twists that I never saw coming, this moves up to the top of my list of best romantic suspense books this year.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated G, Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Irene Hannon is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than sixty-five contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. She is also a three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—from Romance Writers of America and is a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame.

Her many other awards include National Readers’ Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, Carol, HOLT Medallion, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two-time Christy award finalist.

Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.

Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time.

When not writing, she loves to sing, travel, hike, garden, cook, spend time with family, and go on impromptu dates with her own romantic hero.

She and her husband make their home in Missouri.